By now you know that the foods you eat can have a direct effect on your good looks, so you’ve incorporated the best options into your diet. Packed with antioxidants and omega-3s, your daily menu is looking pretty good—and so is your skin. But now comes a new batch of super foods with benefits that surpass any we’ve seen before. Here are the ones you’ll want to start adding to your daily meals now:
Chia seeds: Say it with me: Cha-cha-cha chia! Those little seeds that we smeared onto terra cotta figurines actually contain more omega-3s than flax seeds. They’ve been found to lower inflammation and slow down aging, particularly in the skin. Sprinkle them on your salad, add them to homemade baked goods or toss some in your soup.
Black garlic: When regular raw garlic is fermented in high heat for about a month, it transforms into black garlic, which has a mild licorice flavor and a sweeter taste without leaving you with bad breath! Plus, it’s backed with twice the cell-protecting antioxidants of raw garlic and s. allycysteine, which has been found to prevent cancer and improve blood pressure.
Popcorn: You may have read the recent news that popcorn has more antioxidants than fruits or veggies. It’s also packed with polyphenols that reduce skin inflammation and protect your cells, making it a superhealthy, guilt-free snack.
Cupuaçu fruit: This rainforest native is chock full of B vitamins, fatty acids and antioxidants like vitamins A and C, which are vital to beautiful, glowing skin. In fact, the flavonoid quercetin, found in the cupuaçu fruit, actually helps your skin to preserve its vitamin C. You can find the fruit in supplement form and you may also start seeing it on face cream ingredient labels soon too.
Spirulina: This blue-green algae returns to the limelight, thanks to its abundance of vitamin A—more than those found in carrots. Plus, the phytochemicals found in spirulina will help ward off free radicals, speed skin cell turnover and prevent acne-causing bacteria. Now that’s pretty super.
Posted Thursday, April 12, 2012 by Shellie Terry Benson, Editor of New Beaut